The power clean is one of the easiest Olympic lifts that you can learn. It produces a very high power and force output, which translates into increased speed and explosiveness on the field or track. All sports need power and more power means more strength.
Check out the video below to see the Power Clean:
A Clean will recruit more muscles than any other gym exericse. Since there are movements involved at the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints, you will be using your calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors, traps, deltoids, and forearms, as well as your abdominals to stabilize the spine during the movement.
How To Power Clean
Phase 1 (The Set Up)
- feet slightly wider than hip width apart, toes slightly out
- squat down & grip bar, pronate grip, hands slightly wider than shoulders & elbows outside of knees
- keep the bar close to your shins
- back flat, chest up & head neutral
Phase 2 (The Pull)
- lift the bar from the floor by forcefully extending the hips & knees
- continue keeping the butt low, it should not raise up before the shoulders
- keep the bar as close to your body as possible
Phase 3 (The Scoop)
- known as the scoop, when the bar passes the knees you need to thrust the hips forward
- while thrusting forward, shrug the shoulders upward but do not let the elbows bend yet
- when the shoulders reach the highest point, flex the elbows to begin pulling your body under the bar
- your head will be slightly tilted back, and your feet should lose some contact with the ground
- rotate the arms around and under the bar, once you reach maximum height
- you will most likely flex into a quarter squat, and at the same time drive the elbows upward so they are parallel to the floor
- rack the bar, stand tall, neutral head position, flat feet
Practice Lifts
Romanian Deadlifts
This lift teaches you to keep the bar close to your body using just your hip muscles. Romanian Deadlifts start from a hang position not the floor. The arms need to be straight at al times, as well as the legs. Push the hips forward, while squeezing the glutes, to raise up trying not to use the back.
Front Squat
The key with the front squat helping the power clean is flexibility with the wrists and triceps. Your elbows should be high because if not, it puts a lot of stress on your wrists and elbows. The bar should be on top of your shoulders, behind your clavicles and close to your throat. If you can squat with out changing your rack position, than you’ve mastered this step.
Hang Cleans
Almost to a full power clean, but let us start halfway down first. The starting position is the same as the Romanian DL, arms stay straight and hips are back. You need to forcefully jump to be able to rack the bar on your shoulders. A tip that may help is timing a hard stomp with your feet back in the same position. The harder you stomp, the faster you rack the bar. *Remember to keep the elbows high.
(original image by stenbergphotography)
